Genevieve Campbell has a bright future ahead of her, having just received two TAFE NSW Excellence Awards for ‘Student of the Year’ and ‘Career Pathways, Aboriginal Languages and Employability Skills Student of the Year’ after completing years 10-12 in one year.

According to the NSW Department of Education, an apparent 57% of Government school students in Southwest NSW (made up of the Central West, Riverina and Murray regions) go on to complete years 10-12. For students who are not compatible with mainstream schooling, TAFE NSW offers a number of high school equivalent courses and career pathway options.  

Having struggled with her mental health at high school, Genevieve decided to transition to TAFE NSW to complete a Certificate IV in Tertiary Preparation (TPC). The TPC provides students with the knowledge and skills required to pursue further education at university as well as providing a recognised Tertiary Entry Score accepted by the University Admissions Centre.

“TAFE NSW gave me the opportunity to fast track my education and complete three years of schooling in one year,” Ms Campbell said.

“With my classes being offered on campus and online, I was easily able to catch up on the odd occasion I had to miss class to go to work.

“I felt supported by my teachers every step of the way and felt as though they genuinely cared about me and my future.”

TAFE NSW teacher for Mathemetics, Computer and Statistics, Alexander Francis, said Genevieve’s results demonstrate her commitment and hard-working attitude.

“Geneveive was top of the class in all of her studies and her hard work has resulted in an early offer from Charles Sturt University to study in the Veterinary field,” Mr Francis said.

“I have been teaching and tutoring for 45 years in 4 different countries and I have never seen such an outstanding, resilient and motivated student like Genevieve.  

“The options available to Genevieve are endless, and I’m confident she will excel at whatever she chooses to do.”

For Genevieve, now is the perfect time to reflect on how far she has come and look to the future.

“Winning Student of the Year is something I never thought would happen, but I feel as though my hard work over the past year has paid off, which has made me realise how big an achievement completing the three years in one really was,” Ms Campbell said.

“I’m currently taking a gap year and next year I hope to study in a veterinary field or complete an electrical apprenticeship whilst studying a veterinary nursing course through TAFE NSW.”